PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Hu, Junjie AU - Shibata, Yoko AU - Voss, Christiane AU - Shemesh, Tom AU - Li, Zongli AU - Coughlin, Margaret AU - Kozlov, Michael M. AU - Rapoport, Tom A. AU - Prinz, William A. TI - Membrane Proteins of the Endoplasmic Reticulum Induce High-Curvature Tubules AID - 10.1126/science.1153634 DP - 2008 Feb 29 TA - Science PG - 1247--1250 VI - 319 IP - 5867 4099 - 4100 - SO - Science2008 Feb 29; 319 AB - The tubular structure of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) appears to be generated by integral membrane proteins, the reticulons and a protein family consisting of DP1 in mammals and Yop1p in yeast. Here, individual members of these families were found to be sufficient to generate membrane tubules. When we purified yeast Yop1p and incorporated it into proteoliposomes, narrow tubules (∼15 to 17 nanometers in diameter) were generated. Tubule formation occurred with different lipids; required essentially only the central portion of the protein, including its two long hydrophobic segments; and was prevented by mutations that affected tubule formation in vivo. Tubules were also formed by reconstituted purified yeast Rtn1p. Tubules made in vitro were narrower than normal ER tubules, due to a higher concentration of tubule-inducing proteins. The shape and oligomerization of the “morphogenic” proteins could explain the formation of the tubular ER.